Rainy December
by Mistress of the Arts
Summary: Oneshot. Written for ASlaveToWords' birthday today. Shandi finds herself alone on her birthday in a rainy december and gets an unexpected visit and gift from Tala...


**A/N: Hey! I came up with this idea on a stormy night at work, and thought it would be perfect for ASlaveToWords' birthday oneshot! Happy Birthday, Shandi! Love ya!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or the characters. The character Shandi is based completely off of ASlaveToWords. Please read and review!**

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**Rainy December**

It was December 21st.

She had been living for two decades officially on this day. Shandi sat in the café, decorated for the holidays, and soft Christmas carols played on the radio in the background. For her twentieth birthday she had thought everything was going to be perfect.

When she woke up though, she discovered it wasn't as rain unleashed itself upon the Russian city she lived in. Her roomie, Alicia, had to leave two days ago due to a family emergency stateside, and her parents' flight from Newfoundland to Russia had been cancelled due to the massive snow storms that had hit the states. She had gotten an apologetic phone call, along with several cards and small presents from her various friends around the world, including Max and Tyson from the Bladebreakers, the White Tigers, and even Mystel sent her something from Cairo.

She adored her friends and how much they expressed how much they cared about her, but the fact that she was spending her birthday alone bummed her out. She hadn't been blading very long, and was in fact professionally a cosmetologist, but she had picked up blading to make up for the majority of time she seemed to have.

She sipped her caramel cocoa and glanced out the window with her blue-green eyes; before she ran her fingers through the messy ponytail she had pulled her ebony locks in that morning. She adjusted her red and black plaid scarf, before leaning back in the booth and releasing a deep sigh. Once again she pulled out her birthday card, opening it to look at the picture that Max had sent with him and the other Bladebreakers, excluding Kai, smiling.

"Wish you were here with me, Maxie…" Shandi murmured.

Max was one of the truest and closest friends she had. She only wished she could get to see them more often than the occasional once ever three to four month visits they made while competing around the world as the number one Beyblade team.

The rain continued to cascade down upon the city from the heavens above. Shandi watched as couples laughed and ran inside the café, watching as the young man took his companion's jacket, and brushed the rain off her pretty face. She had to look away as they exchanged a sweet kiss, feeling her stomach churning unpleasantly.

Out of everyone she missed, she was surprised she missed her kinda, sorta friend Tala Ivanov the most. Tala was cold, but sometimes he would open up to Shandi. The first time they met they had nearly strangled each other, but Shandi realized that Tala had been dealing with a lot lately and was just taking it out on others.

Soon, he began to open up to her, piece by piece until they could consider each other friends…

Well, somewhat friends anyway.

It was Tala.

"I've waited this long… why should I give up now?" Shandi whispered to herself.

She had been crazy about Tala for as long as she could remember. Probably since the first time she actually met him face-to-face. She didn't treat him like a celebrity; she treated him with the respect he deserved for being such a strong blader.

She guessed that was what made Tala actually tolerate her in the first place…

"Huh."

Shandi jerked her head up, stunned to see the sight before her. At first she wasn't sure if he was standing in front of her, and that it was just a trick of her mind since she had been thinking about him and she was bummed, but as Tala leaned against the booth and met her eyes, she knew he was really standing there.

"What?" she blinked, staring up at the Russian redhead curiously.

Tala smirked a little and replied, "Didn't expect to find you here, alone, on your birthday of all days."

Shandi looked away, "Yeah, so what if I spend my birthday alone? Not like you care."

"True," he shocked her by sliding into the booth and sitting across from her, icy and piercing blue eyes closing.

"Tala, why are you bothering me at all? Can't you just let me wallow in my misery?"

"Nope,"

Shandi's gloved fists clenched on the table, "Dammit…"

Tala smirked and opened his eyes, before his smirk vanished and he stared stoically at the left open card beside her. Without even asking, he reached over and snatched it, opening it to read Max's sweet words.

_Shandi-Mandy!!_

_Miss you like crazy! Can't wait to see you soon! Happy Birthday and don't worry! You're always on our minds and in our hearts, even Kai's!_

_Love you always,_

_Maxie_

"Shandi-Mandy?" he inquired dully.

"Amanda's my middle name," Shandi said a little hotly. "And that's his pet name for me."

"Must be quite smitten with you."

Shandi blushed and muttered, "It's not like that. We're just friends. Best friends."

Tala was quiet before he reached into his pocket, fist wrapping around the small wrapped box in it, before he took a deep breath and released it in a deep sigh. Shandi blinked as Tala stood up and slid the small red and black box across the table, it stopping right next to her hands. He turned wordlessly on his heel and started to leave.

"Tala…?"

He continued to walk away, Shandi sitting there in a stunned silence, before her trembling fingers carefully and slowly unwrapped the box. She felt a burning at the corner of her eyes, an unfamiliar one and a lump scorch her throat at the exotic black Celtic cross that had thorns and roses entwining around it, the roses made out of rubies. The chain the pendant rested on was a leather choker necklace.

It was completely beautiful, and obviously handcrafted and expensive. Shandi was about to hop to her feet, to chase after Tala and thank him for such a beautiful gift, but she was immobilized with shock.

Why would he give her such an expensive gift?

Tala wasn't one to give gifts. He never gave anything except for torment and defeat. He never cared about anyone but himself, so why would he take the time and consideration to give her a gift on her lonely birthday?

It was so unlike him…

It made her wonder as well.

Was Tala finally starting to care about others?

More specifically…

Her?

"Tala!"

Shandi jerked her head up, blue-green eyes colliding with cold and piercing blue ones a split second later. Tala was standing beside the table, hand on the back of the booth, and he was leaning down, head tilted a little to the side. Before he could lose his nerve or realize just exactly what he was allowing himself to do, Tala eliminated the distance between Shandi and himself.

She gasped as his cold lips pressed against hers; her face heating up as the words _TALA IVANOV IS KISSING ME! _screeched across her mind. His lips pressed firmly against hers, and Shandi kissed him back once the initial shock had worn off. Tala pulled away a moment later, wordlessly pulling the pendant from the box, and moving to clasp it around Shandi's neck.

"T-Tala…?"

Tala gave her a small whisper of a smile before whispering, "Happy Birthday."

Shandi reached out, wrapping her arms around his lean waist tightly and burying her face into his stomach. Tala blinked, before he hesitantly placed a hand on the back of her head. He could feel warmth sinking through his shirt and felt it against his skin.

"Hey… don't get all emotional on me." He grumbled, looking out of the corner of his eyes, and his expression was one of slight awkwardness.

Shandi pulled back and wiped her eyes, "Sorry…" she mumbled.

Tala caught her hand and pulled her to her feet, throwing some money on the table to pay for her drink.

"Come on…"

"Where are we going?"

"Where else?" Tala replied as if the answer was obvious, "To spend your birthday together."

"But… why?"

Tala gave her a dull stare and an irritated sigh, "Shandi, don't make me have to spell this out for you. Obviously I give a damn about you and don't want you alone on your birthday. Can't you just accept that?"

Shandi bit her lip, "This is unbelievable."

"What? That I do have a heart?"

"No… that you want to be with me."

"Don't act like an idiot. Of course I want to be with you." Tala paused and said softly, "And not just today… I want to be with you a lot more than just today."

Shandi stared at him, "Are you saying… you like me?"

Tala's answer was automatic. "No."

She flinched and felt her heart sting as she looked away, "Oh…"

Tala pulled Shandi close and kissed her once again, whispering as he pulled away.

"I love you."

Shandi gawked for a moment before finally feeling herself break into a smile. Tala wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her out of the café, and they stepped outside into the rain.

_This is the best birthday… I've ever had._

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**A/N: Please review!**

**Eidolon Twilight Princess**


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